Index card filing system

ABSTRACT

An index filing system including a plurality of identical index cards, each card having parallel longitudinal columns of information symbols, and each information column having a colorcoded heading. Each card further has a longitudinal edge member including a plurality of color-code receiving spaces, each space transversely aligned with an information symbol in one or more information columns.

United States Patent 1 Hurt, Jr.

1 1 INDEX CARD FILING SYSTEM [76] Inventor: John M. Hurt, Jr., 1030 Belvidere Dr., Nashville, Tenn. 37204 [22] Filed: Apr. 20, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 245,775

[52] US. Cl 40/78, 40/359, 283/37 [51] Int. Cl. G09f 9/00 [58] Field of Search 40/78, 359, 360; 283/36, 37

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 878,612 2/1908 Denlinger 40/78.15

1,771,740 7/1930 Zion 40/359 1929583 10/l933 Barker 40/78.]5

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 232,847 4/1925 Great Britain 40/78 Church 28\ Cities reeds n e Blue Gossi Grace [451 Dec. 25, 1973 1,188,458 4/1970 Great Britain 40/359 Primary ExaminerRobert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-J. H. Wolff AttorneyHarrington A. Lackey 57 ABSTRACT An index filing system including a plurality of identical index cards, each card having parallel longitudinal columns of information symbols, and each information column having a color-coded heading. Each card further has a longitudinal edge member including a plurality of color-code receiving spaces, each space transversely aligned with an information symbol in one or more information columns.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEB UECZ 5 I973 Fig. I

Grace reeds 6055i CARD NO. 29- fa Fig. 4-

34 Q 33 F A A y e l u. HEH Q xw/ NE S m V EMFQ MR @EM Q P Fig. 5

' Green 36 Orange 38-Red INDEX CARD FILING SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an index card filing system, and more particularly to a filing system incorporating color-coded index cards.

Filing systems including index cards for rapidly locating information are well-known in the art. Most index cards are indexed alphabetically or numerically and are provided with partition cards or panels having protruding tabs with letters or numbers thereon which are visible above the edges of a stack of index cards in order to facilitate location of the desired information. A sphisticated example of this type of index card is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 732,679 of Gilman.

Index cards having perforations or edge notches thereon for registering with an elongated pin or rod to separate all index cards having common information thereon, are also known in the art.

Index cards having a longitudinal column of information symbols and a parallel column of index values on the edge of the card, the values being transversely aligned with information symbols in the information column, are disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,248,162 of DeAraujo.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a filing sys-f tem including a plurality of uniform index cards upon each of which may be impressed a considerable amount of information in a plurality of parallel longitudinal information columns. The main purpose of this system is to allow the information printed on or attached to each card to be filed under a large number of different subject headings, all at the same time, and to be easily retrieved later through checking under any single heading or combination of headings. A typical card of this kind might contain five symbol or information columns each containing seventy or more topics. Thus, any item could easily be filed under as many as three hundred fifty or more subjects at the same time. By combining symbols for each subject, several million possible subjects could be filed, using this system.

Material filed by either method can also be scanned and retrieved visually at a scanning rate of hundreds, and often thousands, of cards per minute, since only the edge of the cards must be scanned. The space required for filing and displaying the cards for scanning is minimal since they can be scanned by viewing the edges while the cards are stacked flush against each other standing at the same height relative to one another, so that the edges are exposed to view. Cards may remain packed as closely as is physically possible while scanning.

Formed along a longitudinal edge member of the card, which may be either the longitudinal edge of a fiat card or the longitudinal folded edge of the card, is a color-code column. The color-code column is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced color-coded receiving spaces, each space being aligned with an information symbol in one or more of the information columns. The heading of each information column is color-coded, either with a different shade of color, or with the name of a color.

If, for example, an index card represents or corresponds to a published article or book containing various items of information represented by information symbols printed in the information columns of the card, then the colors corresponding to the color-headings of the information columns in which the information symbols appear are impressed in the color-code receiving spaces transversely aligned with the corresponding symbols. When a plurality of color-coded cards representing various published articles, books, or other information are arranged in a stack with the color-coded edge members having the same orientation, then all of the index cards which have been filed under any particular subject will have identical color-coded information symbols, transversely aligned, in the color-code receiving spaces on their edge members, which are visible even when the edge members are flush.

The index cards made in accordance with this invention may be folded about a fold line intercepting the color-code receiving column, so that more information may be received in less space, so that corresponding articles may be received between the folded back portions of the card, and more important still, so that the colors on the edges of the cards may be seen more easily while the cards are resting flush against one another in a file drawer, stack, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of an index box or drawer receiving a plurality of folded index cards made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a folded index card made in accordance with this invention, with the information symbols omitted;

FIG. 3 is a face view of the unfolded index card of FIG. 2, including the information symbols;

FIG. 4 is a face view of a plurality of folded index cards overlapping each other to illustrate the alignment of common color-coded symbols; and

FIG. 5 is a face view ofa modified color-coded index card.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in more detail, FIG. 1 discloses a receptacle, such as an index drawer or box 10 containing a horizontal stack of a plurality of folded index cards 11 made in accordance with this invention.

As best disclosed in FIG..3, each of the cards 11 has imprinted upon its face (one major surface) a plurality of parallel longitudinal information columns, such as 12, 13, 14 and 15.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, each column includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced information symbols, such as the words Age", Angels in column 12; the words Devil Doubt" in column 13; the words Jobs, Jokes in column 14 and the words Plants and Poverty in column 15.

Along the top margin of each card 11 is a heading space l6, 17, 18 and 19, respectively, for each information column 12 15. Each heading space 16 19 is color-coded for a different color, such as by the disclosed color names Orange" in heading space 16, Blue" in heading space 17, Red" in heading space 18, and Green" in heading space 19.

In the particular index card 11 disclosed in FIGS. 1-4, a center code-receiving column 20 separates the information columns 13 and 14 and is parallel to all of the columns 12 15. The color-code receiving column 20 is divided by transverse lines into a plurality of color-code receiving spaces 21. In order to facilitate scanning, the center column 20 of card 11 may be printed so that the color-code receiving spaces are alternately white and gray, or any other contrasting colors or shades. Other methods to facilitate scanning may be employed such as appropriately spaced heavier lines.

At any convenient place on the face of the index card, such as the bottom portion of the index card 11, the source material corresponding to the particular index card 11 may be identified, such as by TITLE", SOURCE and CARD NO.

Index card 11 is preferably designed to be folded longitudinally about the fold line 23. Of course, after the card 11 is folded, as indicated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the fold line 23, constitutes a longitudinal edge of the folded card. Moreover, when the folded cards 11 are placed in the horizontal stack in the drawer 10, the fold lines 23 constitute the top edges of the folded cards 1 1.

It is also important to the successful operation of this invention that each of the color-code receiving spaces 21 intercept the edge or fold line 23.

As best disclosed in FIG. 2, the source material 24, if small enough, such as one page or several pages of a magazine article, may be folded and secured between the folded back portions 25 of the index card 11 by means, such as staples 26. In this manner, the source material 24 is kept with its corresponding index card 1 1 and is also protected within a pocket formed between the folded portions of the other major surface of the card 11.

The index card 11, as particularly disclosed in FIG. 3 includes information symbols particularly adapted for use by a clergyman in indexing or cataloguing source material for sermons, oral addresses or written articles relating to spiritual or religious subjects. For example, assume the article 24 is a magazine article regarding a religious subject. The clergyman would read the article 24 and then with a pencil, pen or other indicating device, he would mark, such as by the encircling lines 28, those words in each information column 12, 13, 14 and 15 representative of the information contained within the article 24. For example, FIG. 3 illustrates the words Angels", God", Lost, War", and Self" encircled by the lines 28 as representative of information in the article 24 which is stapled by the staples 26 upon the back surface 25 of the index card 11. In actual practice, information can be printed directly on the card or attached by staples, glue, tape, or by any other suitable method. Large articles can also be placed in a pocket formed by stapling, gluing, or otherwise attach ing the two loose bottom edges of the card together.

Since the word Angles" is found in information column 12 having heading l6 color-coded Orange, then the transversely aligned color-code receiving space 21 is colored orange, by any convenient means.

Since the encircled word God is found in information column 13 having heading space 17 color-coded Blue, then the transversely aligned color-code receiving space 21 is also colored blue.

In a similar manner, the other color-code receiving spaces 21 transversely aligned with the other encircled words are colored the same color as the heading of the column in which the particular information symbol is found. After the card 11 has been completely colorcoded, it is folded about the fold line 23 and placed with the fold line 23 uppermost into the card receptacle l0.

The process is repeated for each additional source material until a plurality of cards are horizontally stacked in the receptacles 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

When the clergyman requires all of the source material containing inforrnation represented by a certain symbol, such as Angles", he sights in the direction of the line 30 (FIG. 1) along the second transverse row from the color-coded headings and identifies all cards in that row having an orange color. He then removes all the cards having the second color-code receiving space 21 colored orange and examines them to identify the resource materials relating to Angles.

If the clergyman desires to obtain all the resource material relating to War, then he sights across the edges 23 to identify all of the index cards 11 having the bottom or extreme right color-code receiving space 21 colored red, and removes such cards.

It is also within the scope of this invention to form the color-code receiving column 20 along one longitudinal edge of the card 11, and place these cards, without folding them, with the color-coded margin uppermost.

FIG. 5 illustrates a card 31 having longitudinal information columns 32, 33, 34 and 35, and corresponding color-coded heading spaces 36, 37, 38 and 39, each color-coded for a different color, such as the names Orange", Blue", Red and Green." The colorcode receiving column 40 is formed along the top margin or top edge of the card 31 and is provided with color-code receiving spaces 41 having the same function as the color-code receiving spaces 21. These colorcode receiving spaces 41 intercept the top edge 43, so that they may be colored and the edge 43 perform the same function as the fold line 23 in an index card 11.

The information symbols found in the information columns 32 35 are the letters of the alphabet, instead of completed words. In this manner, more information may be included on a smaller card 31, and a separate master index may be employed for coding the alphabetical letters with the information to be found in the resource materials.

The space 45 may be employed to recite the name and otherinformation to identify the resource material in the card 31.

It will be noted in card 31 that the information symbol letters C, G, J and S have been marked by the encircling lines 48, to identify the topic of information found in the resource materials which has been assigned the code designation GCJS". These identifying letters have been color-coded in the color-code receiving spaces 41 by the colors identifying the information columns in which the letters are found, in the same manner as the words in card 11 have been color-coded.

When several sections identical to FIG. 5 are printed on each card, it is possible to still file the article under a number of separate subjects at the same time, using one section for each subject, while selecting from a master list which could number in the millions of possible topics. Other similar methods of filing include filing any word under its first four letters or by allowing each two spaces to represent one digit of a number, with the left space representing the lower or odd number, and the right representing the higher or even number, while each of five colors represents two digits each. (Red representing 1 and 2, Blue representing 3 and 4 etc., or by allowing the first several receiving spaces to represent major catagories while the larger number of remaining receiving spaces represent subcatagories).

It will be apparent from the above description that other types of information and resource material could be identified, catalogued and indexed by merely varying the information symbols on index cards 11 and 31.

The color-code receiving space 21 of each card 11 and the color-code receiving space 41 of each card 31 may be color-coded with colored tape or adhesive paper in such a manner that the tape is folded over the corresponding visible edge 23 or 43.

The term color-coding includes the term black and white, as well as colors.

It is also possible to color-code all edges of the card 31, and by proper indexing to place the desired colorcoded edge uppermost in the drawer 10, to handle more information in less space.

The term card" will be understood to mean any type of flat or folded sheet member made from any desired material.

Index cards 1 1 may also be provided with heavy marginal lines 29 for aligning the bottom edges of each card 11 for insertion into the receptacle 10.

What is claimed is:

1. A filing system comprising:

a. a plurality of substantially elongate rectangular index cards of uniform size,

b. each said card bearing along one major surface thereof a grid array which defines a plurality of Iongitudinal information columns, with each said column having different informational symbols impressed therealong c. the information columns on each said card each having a different color-coded heading arrayed in a transverse row thereacross, thereby associating a group of informational symbols with each of said different color-coded headings,

d. a color-code receiving column formed on said face substantially along the longitudinal center portion of each said card,

e. color-code receiving spaces within each said colorcode receiving columns, with each space being transversely aligned with an information symbol in each of said information columns,

f. a center fold line parallel to the longitudinal edges of each said card and lying wholly within said color-code receiving column,

g. each of said cards being foldable about said center fold line to create a folded edge, thereby exposing a portion of said color-coded receiving column and furthermore defining a pocket between adjacent facing portions of said other major surface of said card wherein a written article can be stored,

h. the informational symbols associating a written article pocketed within one of said cards being selectively indexed by color-coding the appropriate color-code receiving space in accordance with the color-code heading color of the column of said card wherein the written article is stored,

i. means for receiving said foldable cards in an aligned arrangement whereby said folded edges are visible, and corresponding color-code receiving spaces are transversely aligned, so as to associate similar information contained within written articles with said cards, respectively.

2. The invention according to claim 1 further cornprising means for securing between the folded portions of a card a written article containing the information indexed by the color-coded symbols on the face of said card.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION 3,780,460 Dated December 25, 1973 John M. Hurt, Jr.

Patent No.

Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 6, lines 16, 17, 24, 28 and 32, "written" should read informational w.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of September 1974,

(SEAL) Attest:

C. MARSHALL DANN I MCCOY M. GIBSON JR.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC eosve-pes fi' U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: i969 0-366-334) FORM FO-1OSO (10-,69) 

1. A filing system comprising: a. a plurality of substantially elongate rectangular index cards of uniform size, b. each said card bearing along one major surface thereof a grid array which defines a plurality of longitudinal information Columns, with each said column having different informational symbols impressed therealong c. the information columns on each said card each having a different color-coded heading arrayed in a transverse row thereacross, thereby associating a group of informational symbols with each of said different color-coded headings, d. a color-code receiving column formed on said face substantially along the longitudinal center portion of each said card, e. color-code receiving spaces within each said color-code receiving columns, with each space being transversely aligned with an information symbol in each of said information columns, f. a center fold line parallel to the longitudinal edges of each said card and lying wholly within said color-code receiving column, g. each of said cards being foldable about said center fold line to create a folded edge, thereby exposing a portion of said color-coded receiving column and furthermore defining a pocket between adjacent facing portions of said other major surface of said card wherein a written article can be stored, h. the informational symbols associating a written article pocketed within one of said cards being selectively indexed by color-coding the appropriate color-code receiving space in accordance with the color-code heading color of the column of said card wherein the written article is stored, i. means for receiving said foldable cards in an aligned arrangement whereby said folded edges are visible, and corresponding color-code receiving spaces are transversely aligned, so as to associate similar information contained within written articles with said cards, respectively.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising means for securing between the folded portions of a card a written article containing the information indexed by the color-coded symbols on the face of said card. 